res seized us, shoved us prone on the metal
platform. It was barely four feet wide; a low railing, handles with
which to cling, and a tiny hooded cubby in front.

"Gregg!"

"You, Snap!"

It was Snap and Venza. She seized Anita, held her crouching in place.
Snap flung himself face down at the controls.

The brigands were out on the dome now. I took a last shot as we
lifted. My bullet punctured one of them: he slid, fell scrambling off
the rounded dome and dropped out of sight.

Light rays and silent flashes seemed to envelope us. Venza held the
side shields higher.

We tilted, swayed crazily, and then steadied.

The ship's dome dropped away beneath us. The rocks of the open ledge
were beneath us. Then the abyss, with the moving, climbing specks of
Miko's lights far down.

I saw, over the side shield, the already distant brigand ship resting
on the ledge with the massive Archimedes' wall behind it. A confusion
back there of futile flashing rays.

It all faded into a remote glow as we sailed smoothly up into the
starlight and away, heading for the Grantline camp.

XXXIII

"Wake up. Gregg! They're coming!"

I forced myself to consciousness. "Coming--"

I leaped from my bunk, followed Snap with a rush into the corridor.

We had returned safely to the Grantline camp. Anita and I found
ourselves exhausted from lack of sleep, our arduous climb of
Archimedes and that tense time on the brigand ship. On the flight
back, Snap had explained how the landing of the ship on Archimedes was
observed through the Grantline telescope. They had read with amazement
my signals to the brigands. Snap had rushed to completion the first of
our flying platforms. Then he had seen Miko's signals from the crater
base, seen the lights and the fight to capture Anita and me, and had
come to rescue us.

Back at the camp we were given food, and Grantline forced me to try to
sleep.

"They'll be on us in a few hours, Gregg. Miko wall have joined them by
now. He'll lead them to us. You must rest, for we need everyone at his
best."

And surprisingly, in the midst of the camp's turmoil of last minute
activities, I slept soundly until Snap called me, telling me the ship
was coming.

The corridor echoed with the tramp of Grantline's busy crew. But there
was no confusion; a grim calmness had settled on everyone.

Anita and Venza rushed up to join us. "It's in sight!"

There was no need of going to the instrument room. From the w